Philomela Towerbird
Philomela Towerbird, affectionally nicknamed Lilo on occasion, is a 2017 introduced and all-around character. Philomela is destined to fill the role of the nameless princess in a tower from The Canary Prince, written by Italo Calvino. Largely due to her nihilistic attitude and upbringing, Philomela sides with the Royals in the destiny debate, unable to see what rebelling will actually achieve. Character Personality Philomela is a very wistful girl. She can often be found in a pensive mood, melancholically minding her own business and keeping to herself. As sad it is, Philomela is a sad person but seems at peace with that, accepting that this is how, she supposes, her life is meant to be. She is intelligent and dreamy, simple and soft. She appreciates the small things in life and prefers to take things slowly, allowing her to appreciate each moment. Because of such, high-speed environments tend to make her nervous, as well as anything too loud. Because she dislikes making a scene and shaking the boat, Philomela is likely to go along with other people and the status quo, even if that means she’s less than happy. In times where this isn’t the case, like her love life, Philomela will keep her actions quiet and small, not wanting to be seen breaking that norm (and hence ‘upsetting’ people). When confronted, she tends to react “like a canary in a coal mine”, freezing, crying and becoming overwhelmed. Philomela can be described as somewhat of a nihilist, though this is tied more to her depressive mindset than anything else. She chooses not to side with the rebels and fails to see what it will change in the long term, which only becomes reaffirmed to her after the events of Dragon Games and Epic Winter. In her eyes, destiny is an inevitability and not one she's in a position to fight. She is a naturally introverted person and while not enthusiastic about the idea, certainly isn't against spending large amounts of time in a tower. She loves reading and finds that imaginary worlds keep her company just fine (they are much quieter than other people too, which is a bonus). Philomela would argue that the only drawback to her tower life is that it prevents her going outside - the peace of a forest is her favourite kind of quiet, one that she has experienced only a few times on family camping trips. Philomela cannot stand the sight of blood or people in pain, finding it very distressing to witness. Seeing people hurt reduces her to feelings of uselessness and blood just makes her feel poorly. Hobbies A vast majority of Philomela’s hobbies are things she can do from the confines of her tower room. She spends a large amount of her time reading and studying, drawing, and playing her flute, all of which she enjoys just fine. She indulges in reality TV a lot more than she would like to admit and is definitely a closet fan of Keeping Up With The Midases. She enjoys the family camping trips the Prince and Towerbird families would often take together as she loves the outside, though she wouldn't consider camping a hobby. Philomela just enjoys walking in the outdoors. Though a little random at first place, Philomela does happen to enjoy rock climbing, finding it a useful skill to posess for getting out her tower. Abilities Philomela is a well-educated girl who has a knack for furthering said education. She enjoys reading and is easily able to retain a wide range of facts and figures. Most notable is her studying of several languages. She is able to speak Italian, Korean, as taught to her by her parents. She learned sign language and English from a tutor, reading books and dictionaries about these languages in her spare time, and taught herself French in a similar manner. She is working on Latin at the moment. She is also artistically inclined and plays the flute to a high level, having been practicing since she was a small child. Appearance Philomela has pale skin which flushes easily. Her hair is fine and black, which she usually wears pushed behind her ears and in front of her shoulders. It isn't uncommon for her to wear headbands of some kind to help push her hair out of her face. She has large monolid eyes which are brown in colour, framed by small eyebrows. Partly due to how easily she blushes, she nearly always looks like she is about to cry. which isn't far from the truth Philomela is fairly average in terms of body type. One of the most noticeable thing about her body are the scars on her forearm, some fresh and some very old, from unfortunate incidents on the spikes outside her window. She isn't self-conscious of them but does prefer to keep them covered, thinking they look worrying to those who don't know her or her destiny. Fairy Tale – The Canary Prince : Main Article: The Canary Prince How does Philomela fit into it? The Canary Prince is a fairly recent fairytale, published in the 50s, resulting a family that is very determined to see their story last and, hence, one that puts a lot of pressure on their only daughter. Philomela doesn't have any strong feelings about the story herself. Her problem resides in the relationship she is expected to have with Canary Prince, who she does not love in the manner she is supposed to. This would be manageable, but her family expectation (especially while being surrounded by another successful relationship) has turned Philomela completely off her destiny while she is simultaneously unable to see a way to resolve the situation. Relationships Family When not attending Ever After High, Philomela lives in a 'ruined' castle with her mother and father. They are genuinely kind and loving people, just ones who put their own interests first. They encourage Philomela, arguably to an uncomfortable degree for her, and only want to see her be the best that she can be. Still, her relationship with her parents is distant, both physically and emotionally. Physically, she was put in a high tower from a young age, hoping to get her used to that situation, and Philomela wasn't totally unhappy with being left to her own devices in the tower room. Emotionally, while loving, her parents can shut down Philomela in favour of encouraging her to do things they think would be best. For example, when Philomela saw Canary go into the scouts as a child Philomela also asked to join, keen to spend time with her friend. Her parents were quick to label it 'inappropriate' and rush her along to flute practice, thinking it more beneficial. Over years this has led to her becoming 'sneaky', as she would rather avoid her parents and do the thing she wants to do anyway, even if such makes her feel guilty. Friends Philomela doesn't have many friends. She could, if she wanted, but as an introverted girl who doesn't entirely mind tower life, only having a few friends suits her just fine. Canary Prince is Philomela's closest friend, without a doubt. The two grew up together and came to see the other like a sibling, despite their 'dating' status. They both care for the other a great deal and would hate to see anything bad happen to the other, which is part of the reason their relationship is the way it is: a mess. Still, they enjoy being each others space (despite the mess of books Philomela leaves behind her) and are very supportive of the other's endeavors. She finds Canary's photography great and hopes he pursues it seriously in the future, though perhaps without her being the subject so often. Philomela wishes she was closer to Opaline Glass but finds herself jealous a lot of the time they are together. They used to be close as kids, but Philomela distanced herself after seeing how easily Opaline fell into a relationship with Obsidian Tunnel. That being said, the girls don't have dissimilar destinies and do get along. Opaline is considerably more practical than the other people in Philomela's life and has been known to call her out for her less than stellar behavior in the past. Opaline tends to help with Philomela's injuries on her arms, which seem to never actually heal, since the sight of blood grosses Philomela out. Obsidian falls into a similar position as Opaline. They used to be close but aren't as close as they were, though things seem to be on the mend now. Obsidian is good at holding a conversation and is pretty extroverted himself, which means conversation flows well between the two of them. As a group, the four hung out as children and grew up in close proximity. They can all play an instrument or sing and it wasn't uncommon for them to perform for their families when they were younger. Romance :Warning for some 18+ talk, in regards to Sable Mimicry Canary Prince As mentioned several times, Canary is Philomela's destined husband and current boyfriend, though neither of them enjoy that fact. Philomela is hopelessly desperate to love Canary but such is not the case, a fact which results in a lot of guilt. Their relationship is filled with empty kisses and "I love you"s that are meant to convince the speaker and not the recipient. Philomela has been known to date other people on the side to try and fulfill her romantic needs but considering the further guilt this produces, she is often quick to dump them and go back to her 'relationship' with Canary. This is not something that has been healthily acknowledged in their relationship, as Canary has only ever provided comfort when these romantic endeavors have failed, telling her that "It's not right, but it's okay.". Still, Philomela has had many romantic encounters out with this relationship, as she is somewhat desperate to find someone who loves her in the way she desires. Sable Mimicry Sable and Philomela's relationship is currently, in her opinion, complicated. The two met when Sable tried to meddle with Philomela and Canary's relationship, which was a fruitless endeavor considering their feelings towards one another. When speaking to Opaline and Obsidian about Sable, the couple revealed what Sable is generally known for doing and Philomela was interested, contacting Sable once again so they could have a night together. Philomela falls in love easily and so tends to cut off contact with people she's spent the night with, but such was not the case with Sable. After one night led to a long, emotional venting session from Philomela, she found the comfort Sable provided to be welcome. Philomela is very aware she is growing far more attached to Sable than she should but continues to visit her frequently her all the same -- she enjoys spending time with someone who is both able to understand her and able to make her feel special and loved. These feelings that are growing, which Philomela is unsure about, are the reason why Philomela considers it a complicated relationship. She knows it would be in her best interest to cut off contact and to try be with Canary, but she really can't resist the allure of someone who makes her feel as loved as Sable does. This growing crush is often evident in her behavior, though Philomela would deny it if you asked, as it's hard for her to admit she is as attached as she has become. Outfits Philomela tends to dress in a manner one might associate with the girl next door trope. Her outfits are soft and traditionally feminine, reading as 'wholesome' - sundresses with short sleeves, cardigans, headbands, and tights are all common in her outfits. Veils and birdcage headpieces are also fairly standard, the former helping to evoke the idea of a bride when paired when the copious amounts of white in her wardrobe. In terms of colour, her outfits are usually white or grey. Philomela's metal colour is silver. Motifs include bricks, birds (and feathers), and bird cages. All of the above art © me. Class-ic Schedule TBA Tropes *'Arranged Marriage': And it didn't work out well. *'Animal Motifs': Birds (and their cages). *'Cute Bookworm': Goes without saying. *'Cool Crown': A crown / bird cage / veil combo. *'Desperately Craves Affection': Someone let her break up with her boyfriend so she can have a happy relationship, please. *'Encyclopedic Knowledge': Philomela has a lot of knowledge in seemingly random areas. *'Foil': Primarily to Opaline but also to Obsidian. In regards to Opaline, both are Italian girls destined to save their respective princes after run-ins with sharp objects. Both worry about pleasing their family but with one major difference: Philomela and her destined prince aren't compatible in the way destiny desires. *In Obsidian's case, they are both romantic damsel-in-distress Italians who are enjoying newfound freedom in Ever After High. *The relationship between Canary and herself is meant to be a foil for the one between Opaline and Obsidian. Both are comprised of childhood friends in an arranged marriage who fall into communication problems. One worked out, the other didn't. **'Not So Different': Herself and Opaline really are two sides of the same coin. *'Fragile Flower': She is pretty much always on the verge of tears. *'Girl in the Tower': Her destiny (and hence where she spent large amounts of her childhood). *'Hollywood Tone Deaf': Her three Italian fairytale friends are all capable singers. Philomela is not, making it fitting that she’s the only one of the four to play an instrument that prevents her using her voice. *'In Love with Love' *'Light Feminine Dark Feminine': The light to Opaline's dark. Opaline is calm and collected and has a penchant for sarcasm, wearing tight fitting darker clothes. Philomela is a gentle and melancholic sweetheart who mainly sports white, preferring a more reserved dress style with 'girly' touches. Contrast can also be drawn between her in Sable, in a similar manner. *'Like Brother and Sister': With Canary. *'Omniglot': She has 5 languages under her belt. *'Small, Secluded World': Philomela grew up in a tower largely on her own. To this day she remains fairly isolated. Trivia *Philomela was named after the Philomela in Greek mythology. This is not because she turns into a bird, like the original Philomela, but because people in her surroundings do. *Her arms are bandaged due to unfortunate incidents with the spikes outside her window. *All the feathers in her outfit are fake because Canary is allergic to feathers. *She learned sign language so that, come destiny, she can easily communicate with Canary. **She makes a mean paper airplane, for similar reasons. When they would want to hang out as children, Opaline, Obsidian, and Canary would often shout to her from at the base of her tower, resulting in Philomela continually cutting up her arms trying to call back. They decided to send messages via paper airplanes instead. *Her birthday is the 8th of September, making her a Virgo. chosen for.. ironic reasons. *Philomela and Canary's relationship was inspired by Glee's covers of the songs 'It's Not Right But It's Okay' and 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light'. **Their relationship can be called 'The Birds and the Baes'. *Philomela usually runs late for things. Not because she keeps poor time, but because it takes forever to climb down her tower when she needs to. *If you know the song Philomela's quote is from then I probably love you. *In a Hunger Games AU, Philomela would be from District 12, due to the relationships between canaries and coal mines. Further Reading *De-spell-opment Challenge 2017 *Epic Rap Battles of Ever After High - Birds and the Baes vs. Glass Tunnel Gallery Philomelatowerbird.png|Philomela Towerbird profile art Philololo.png|Basic Outfit sketch Marshmelaw.jpg|By Patch! < 3 Canaryandphilomelavalentines.png|Canary and Philomela Valentines 2017 (1). How romantic. Philoicon.png|an angry marshmallow Phillybdaypressie4sped.jpeg|B-Day present from Hidden ;w; A rather upset marshy mallow.png|B-Day present from Tay < 3 Category:Aquamarinesandopals Category:OCs by Aquamarinesandopals Category:Characters Category:Royals Category:Females Category:Royalty Category:Princesses Category:The Canary Prince Category:Italian Category:Korean Category:Characters of the Month